


It's Always Been You

by Fandoms_Everywhere_United



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hanahaki Disease, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-11-03 18:22:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17882906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fandoms_Everywhere_United/pseuds/Fandoms_Everywhere_United
Summary: Do I have other things I should be doing?  Yes.That's all you're going to get out of me.  In the meantime, enjoy this Shance hanahaki.





	It's Always Been You

**Author's Note:**

> Do I have other things I should be doing? Yes.
> 
> That's all you're going to get out of me. In the meantime, enjoy this Shance hanahaki.

Shiro’s throat was dry as he stared at the orange opaque pill bottle in his prosthetic, the metal fingers curling over the name because he couldn’t look at it again.  It was empty. Was that a good or a bad thing?

 

The instructions were still taped to the bottle, words shining stubbornly.   _ Take one capsule every eight hours by mouth until empty or until confession _ .  His hands shook as he reread for the third time.   _ Quantity: 300 capsules _ .  That was 100 days.  3 months and some change at least.

 

_ Purpose: Slow the progression of Hanahaki disease. _

 

_ Issued to: Lance McClain. _

 

Hanahaki.

 

Lance had Hanahaki, and he had been suffering for more than three months.  How had Shiro never seen it? Why hadn’t Lance come to him? They spent so much time together, wouldn’t Lance trust him?

 

He put the empty bottle back on the counter where he had found it, going out to search for Lance, determined to help in any way he could.

 

It didn’t take long, he was at the pool as usual, swimming better and faster than a seal.  He took a seat on the edge of the pool after rolling up his pants so that they didn’t drag in the water when his feet dipped in.

 

Lance did another lap before coming up for air right in front of Shiro, inhaling air into flower infested lungs.  “What’s up, Shiro?” he asked as he brushed his wet bangs out of his eyes.

 

He swallowed thickly, his hand curling on the stone edge of the pool and scratching not-so-subtly.  “I was in the restroom just now,” he started, thinking it was as good a place as any.

 

“Ew, have you ever heard of TMI?  Too much information.” Lance joked, splashing him with some of the water from the pool.  “Did you at least wash your hands?”

 

“Of course I washed my--”  Shiro shook his head, refusing to get sidetracked.  “I found an empty pill bottle on the counter,” he continued.  “It was made out to you.”

 

Lance felt the blood drain from his face.  Weakly, he pushed himself up out of the water so that he was sitting next to Shiro.  His legs came up into his chest and he tucked his chin between his knees. “So you know,” he whispered, sadly, refusing to look at Shiro.

 

“H--how long?” he asked, swallowing down the lump trying to choke him.  Knowing was so much more different than  _ knowing _ .  Maybe he was only three months along.  Maybe it wasn’t as bad as Shiro feared.  Maybe it--

 

Lance sighed heavily, turning to the side to cough.  He didn’t stop. He didn’t stop until he had a small bloom in his hand that he quickly hid from Shiro’s view.  “I’m on my fourth refill.” He struggled to do the math in his head. “Ten months.” He didn’t need to. “But I went four months unmedicated before that.”

 

Shiro looked at him, reaching his flesh hand out to rub Lance’s wet back comfortingly.  “But Hanahaki… it…”

 

“The mortality rate after nine unmedicated months skyrockets.  With the medication, I’m at about eight or nine months.” Lance turned to face him, a sad smile spread on his face, not quite reaching his eyes.

 

“Who is it?” he asked quietly.

 

Lance turned away.  “Spoilers of my life, Shiro,” he tried to joke, “Can’t tell you ‘til the end.”

 

“You’re  _ dying _ for them, Lance.”

 

“But they wouldn’t do the same for me.”  Lance tried to push himself up, but his arms collapsed underneath him, sending him into Shiro.  He looked up into his eyes with such raw emotion, that Shiro thought he was going to cry. “And I’m okay with that.”

 

He pulled Lance into him, leaning their heads together and just… holding him.  “I’m not sure how much it means, but I’m with you to the end.”

 

They were quiet for a moment, and Shiro pretended that the water seeping through his shirt was from the pool.  “Shiro?” Lance asked, the word barely audible even in the silence surrounding them.

 

“Yeah, Lance?” Shiro asked back, equally quiet.

 

“Would you die for me?”

 

Shiro didn’t even hesitate before he answered.  “In a heartbeat.”

 

“Even a death like this?” Lance asked, “A death where you know what’s happening and every day you can feel it getting worse?  A death where you wake up every day wondering how many you have left? A death where you breathe less and less every day?” Lance rambled on, his breathing becoming more and more shallow and ragged as he could feel a new flower creeping up his throat.  Tears forced their way out of his eyes and into Shiro’s shirt. “Even a death like mine?”

 

Shiro calmed him as best as he could, pressing his lips to Lance’s temple.  “Even a death like yours.”

 

Lance looked up at him again.  “ _ Why _ ?” he asked, and he wasn’t sure if the lump in his throat was emotion or the flowers.

 

“Because… you’re you, Lance.  You’re so kind and caring and selfless.  You’re willing to die for someone that wouldn’t die for you-- which I don’t agree with, by the way.  You’re so full of life and happiness. You’re… you’re contagious, Lance. It’s hard not to be happy around you,” Shiro answered, reining in the rest of the words that wanted to come pouring out  _ because I love you _ on the tip of his tongue.  He couldn’t do that to Lance, not when he was dying for someone else.

 

Lance swallowed thickly, fighting the urge to cough, but failing.  He doubled over, curling to the side so Shiro wouldn’t see just  _ how bad _ it was.  His fingers curled around the flower again, keeping it hidden, always keeping it hidden.  As soon as it was done, he collapsed into Shiro, practically exhausted. “Can I ask you something else, Shiro?” he whimpered.  The pain in his chest was worse than normal; thorns were pressing into his lungs from the inside.

 

Shiro nodded, turning to the side so that Lance’s back was flush with his chest.  “Anything, Lance.”

 

“Do you love me?”

 

A million thoughts flew through his head at once.  He froze where he sat, looking at the water blankly.  “Yes,” he whispered.

 

Lance turned around in his arms, looking at him with something that resembled hope in his eyes.  The crushed flower buds dripped a single drop of crimson liquid to the ground beside the pool. “Do you mean it?  Do you mean it like I mean it?” His bottom lip quivered as he laid his heart out, never feeling so vulnerable in his entire life.

 

“Would you die for me?” Shiro echoed Lance’s question from earlier.

 

“I already am.”  Lance let the flowers fall from his fingertips and into the water beside them, sending ripples across the surface.

 

Shiro grabbed both of Lance’s hands, holding them in his own before bringing the back of them to his mouth and pressing his lips there.  “You don’t have to anymore.”

 

He launched himself into Shiro’s arms, burying his head in his neck.  “It’s you, Shiro. It’s always been you.”

 

“I love you, Lance.”

 

“I love you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Sooooooo... What did y'all think??? Leave some kudos if you liked it and a comment if you really liked it! You can find me on [tumblr](https://fandomseverywhereassemble.tumblr.com) if you'd like more of the stuff I do!


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